Education Minister G. Jagadishwar Reddy inaugurated the first pilgrim amenities complex at Sri Jadala Ramalingeshwar Swamy Temple, Cheruvugattu, here on Monday.
The Rs. 2.28 crore worth complex will have 22 rooms for pilgrims.
The Minister also inaugurated a mandapa constructed at a cost of Rs. 2.30 crore. Later, the Minister laid the foundation stone for the construction of a water sump at an estimated cost of Rs. 28 lakh. Speaking to The Hindu , temple executive officer Gutha Manohar Reddy said that in view of the increasing influx of devotees to the hill shrine, they had taken up the construction of two pilgrim amenities complexes, which will have 22 rooms each. The construction of one has been completed and another will be completed in a couple of months.
Since many devotees coming here would prefer to stay the night, particularly on ‘Amavasya’ (new moon) day, he said that they had decided to improve facilities. The temple receives 40,000 to 1 lakh pilgrims every Amavasya. The presiding deities’ kalyanam will be performed under the newly-built mandapa from this year onwards.
Electronic media boycotted
The local electronic media had boycotted the Education Minister’s visit to the temple alleging that the temple administration had failed to communicate with them about the Minister’s visit in a proper way. They arrived at the hill shrine but refused to cover the programme. Despite repeated pleas from TRS district president Banda Narendar Reddy and the temple staff, the media personnel kept away.
